Kagame discusses DR Congo crisis with new head of MONUSCO

President Paul Kagame on Wednesday, September 2, met with James Swan, the new head of the UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO) for a discussion on the security crisis in eastern DR Congo. Also present in the meeting was Huang Xia, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region. Village Urugwiro said the discussions “focused on the need to address the root causes of the conflict and its impact on Rwanda’s security.” ALSO READ: Nduhungirehe discusses DR Congo crisis with MONUSCO chief The meeting came a day after Swan and Huang met Foreign Affairs Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, for talks on developments in eastern DR Congo and ongoing efforts towards peace and stability in the region. Swan, who was appointed as MONUSCO head i. March this year, arrived in Rwanda on Tuesday, as diplomatic efforts around the conflict continue under the Washington and Doha peace processes. Under the Washington Peace Accords signed by Rwanda and DR Congo in December 2025, MONUSCO is expected to support peace and security efforts, including verification mechanisms and the protection of civilians. ALSO READ: Structural factors of conflict in DR Congo The agreement also provides for the disarmament of the Kinshasa-backed FDLR, a militia founded by remnants of perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The FDLR has operated in eastern DR Congo for nearly three decades, posing a security threat to Rwanda and targeting Congolese Tutsi communities through killings and forced displacement. The Washington process runs alongside the Doha Peace Process, which brings together the Congolese government and AFC/M23 to seek an end to the conflict and address its root causes.

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Kagame discusses DR Congo crisis with new head of MONUSCO